I noticed that some of the readers of this novel share and support this description of friendship. Some people even equate friendship and bondage. One review just amazed me. Here is what the reader writes: “Friendship is slavery. After all, if you find that very, real, true friend, you give yourself up into slavery. The only thing that Pechorin did not recognize was the reciprocity of such slavery." Well, I cannot agree with that.

It is interesting that on July 30, in addition to the Day of Friendship, which some consider a form of slavery, another memorable day is celebrated in the world - World Day against Trafficking in Persons. People around the world are advocating the abolition of slavery and the freeing of victims of modern slavery. But what if a person willingly is ready to become a victim and a slave? If only for the sake of friendship.
" The master is only the master of the slave; he does not belong to him, whereas the slave is not only the slave of his master, but wholly belongs to him," said the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who wrote a wonderful treatise on Friendship.
According to Aristotle, there are three types of friendship: friendship for profit; friendship for pleasure and friendship based on good. It is this (third) form of friendship, according to Aristotle's classification, that seems to be the most preferable. At the root of this friendship is mutual recognition and respect. Aristotle emphasized that “Friendship teaches one how to give and receive” and that “Friendship is freedom. This is the most virtuous state of being. " According to Aristotle, in friendly relations, people should first be free.
How can one fail to recall the well-known statement of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - "To become a free man, you need to squeeze a slave out of yourself drop by drop." Slavery is disgusting and sordid! This is the opposite of freedom. This is the absence of any right to choose. When a person cannot choose anything at all he does what he is told, eats what is given, lives where he is allowed.
Probably, some would prefer it: there is no need to make decisions and no responsibility. But this is not life, this is kind of vegetation! The great philosopher of antiquity Seneca said that "the majority of people prefer slavery."
I believe that a person's freedom of choice is an awareness of opportunities and taking responsibility for the consequences. Life always gives us freedom of choice and the right to decide. The main question is how we use this right.
I will not tire of repeating that we came to this Earth with a certain set of rights, and, most importantly, with the right to life. Our “right to life” is also “the right to free choice.” These concepts are inseparable!
The choice is always made freely and, at the same time, consciously. A slave cannot make a free choice. A person who is a slave to his habits and behavioural patterns is also, in fact, deprived of free choice.
So, what is freedom of choice? Permissiveness, anarchy? No way. Our freedom does not abolish discipline, does not abolish responsibility to society, does not abolish a sense of duty. Moreover, it presupposes full awareness of the consequences of their actions.
This is precisely the responsibility that scares many. It is much easier to delegate responsibility to someone else, even at the risk of losing your own freedom. And then, if something goes wrong, you can blame the one to whom we have transferred the right to decide for ourselves. And start looking for another one who will be "responsible" for your own life. And this carousel will spin for centuries.
The truth is that the Life we ​​live depends on our free choices. Any choice either closes opportunities or opens new paths. Of course, we would like to immediately find the most correct and wisest decisions, but mistakes are no less important. Yes, since they will become invaluable lessons for us. The main thing is not to give our own right to free choice and the right to dispose of our life to others. We must do it ourselves, choosing how we want to live our life on Earth.